The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-10-12
BENJAMIN'S MILITIA.

BENJAMIN'S MILITIA. !
4 NEGRO COMPANY THAT OUT
RACED LAFOURCHE.
Of6c;al Correspondence Upon the sup-
iect of It's Suppression-Mr. Mlche-
let's Testimony as to the Character OF
Bepiamin's Force.
Ahont the 22d Of March, 1874, there was
organized in the parish Of Lafourche negro
militia company, under command OF one
Tev;s BENJAMIN, Company 9. Sixth Battai-
ion, Infantry.
The records in The Adjutant Generals Of
free showed that Henry Street, then AdIutans
General, delivered to Capt Lewis Benlamih'
on the 18th of April. 1874. the following:
Fifty Enfield rife muskets complete, MY
cartridge boxes, fifty bayonet scabbards'
fftv waist belts, fifty waist belt plates nifty cap
boxes. one sergeant,s sword, belt and frog;
1000 rounds Enfield ball cartridges, one
sling and carriages one fife.
The character of the company and the
use to which the arms were put will be
seen in the following extract from BRIEF
of n. H. Michelet, chairman Democratic
committee, parish OF Lafonrche' aufh.s 'he
campaign of 1875, in reference to the con-
dnct of the election in that parish in 1876,
| snbmitted to the Morrison Congressional
Orleans
lS76-T7:
| At Poll TO- located forty miles from the county
| seat. there was no Democratic state COMMITS iI,,
sioner nor had DIR. Ledet furnished any t a. u,
nnil Tbs two Republican commissioners at that
boil named third and Republican eom lit,ls
swn hundred and fifteen votes were polled; the
Democrats receiving Ill and the RepuSiicains -
yotesgving the Democrats clear pa1Spiay i
| United States Commissioner; made out tai!y
| sheet which was swo-n 10 by all three 5t ~
COMMISSIONERS. The next step MAS t to sea- L NE
o cSs then asked the State Commissioners
to take charge of the box retarna bn, put they
returns. and, under. the immediate sary ,ia
lance Of q colored Republican constable
bnnss and handed the box and returns to NJ
A. INdet who at first refused to receive ether 81
or re turn wo aha be ben nae to receive the box
and returns. whereupon all the colored men
withdrew from the courthouse. and IN less tnal
half an hour 300 colored men orsanlAed ia.e
regular companies, collected on the commons
within six acres of tue courthouse hese 4rlnG.
i Hem Of mixed negro and Indian blood, tht
Indian in him clesrly predominating A iars'
number of colored women armed Witn, can an
knives, stood in the van and urged Benjamin am
his warriors to so and kill the white men ant
they. the colored women. would set flre TO tn
that the white inen would not be able to fight
but would be forced to hasten to the rescue Q
their homes aud families P pii, hoalte
that she had the coal oil ready a. het mouse on
set FIRE to the whole town., and that all tn
. be murdered. BENJAMIN is the, captain
company of negro militia. armed wish sta, sta.
whs r RsJ last tree ns On The
same commons where the warriors and shelr \, co
/. ored Amazons collected on the occasion ah ,e
| referred to. The short space OF lllne WITH
which these colored men armed themselves sa
e Isles me that they had been organiZed arm arm.
would be committed BY Ledei. and with the d
liberate purpose that these frauds should be PEI
petrsteda an hazards am aiso satisfied he tn
a the election and had been concealed on the ga
+ Of election, within prohibited distance OF q
l. armed men live in all directions out in the cou
try. and vet their arms we're all in town ready fl
II fendish plot.
re order WI was issued to Major Moore, OF &c
u Nichols staff:
II STATE OF LOUISIANA
rs Adiutant Generals Office.
e | New Orleans, April 81 1877
Major T. D. Moore, Thibodaux:
SO Dear Sir-You will take measures to ,ha
n collected such arms anu equipments belon
~ | ing TO the STATE when may ne III we nan
II of any party or parties In your PARISH, Il
,a report to this Office the nnm6er SO conec ns
ana 5ne con i1n Ia T fnr nv si, sisn arc von NJ
find it necessary to take.
I'd by ofoeI u " 'f p. 1oe adintsnt General.
Ac.;no In,dar this order. Major MoC
n AZ da,,,o a -, u ;sm,in .ba neoro cs
ma, fnr tha arms cts wbich demand r.
NJ ;in, 4 .af"soi 70 ,',,nr, rtb and Il wss
he a ,rad IN fh.i After the emsnd
- pa,i a,, annthar Ganar Grazi
Ee,,nans ;.~ nnIertn. i,r the Parish If
I'D fonpcLe had onne +, tha civ Of New
E. io ans ~ sea " Gnn Ncbol|A ehnnt The matt
ed ie IN th he ' .nesmYhile M.inr Mare had wi,
III she si Eaner,I aho,,t A tbs rafussl
,.e;c iaisgrsn' he rereivo5 ,ha foIlow;nT
he pay STATE or Ior-1s1aa.
Adjutant Generals Ofiice
A. New Orleans, May7 lsl
Major I. D. Moore. Thibodau4:
III submitted your telegram of the eth
W. the Governor. He instrllcts me to suspe
any action in relation to the collection
81 STATE arms. You will, therefore, consi
of my orders to you on the subject. of the al
ize III, Lafonrche belonging to the State
he | Yoked. Very respectfully,
H. T. W, Parton
of No reply to above was made by Ma
ng Moore Then again on the 18th OF NJ
ion Srsrp OF Lou1s1AS
Adiutent Generals Office
The New Orleans, May Il, Isl
US O. Crozier, ESQ, Thibodaux:
ne. Daor sir-your letter of tba 1Ith inst
er Deal oir+i b let'et ~ Wy In ms us.
ice III, s,ot r.ca;y we'd NV ssr ,,h. , Sa =, i.
tie. shall hnwever Er;ts n nm aim ~ ." +" Ia
a. Soon Ms tbe oraa.izst;nn of rnmr p,
Ir. Many ia etfected cnn viii rern,t 70 r,e RI RI,
Oh, brig. Gen. Rsdaliff. conmsnijne the N
mi In,S listrot az ,rI,;ob I af,rf~.aI,,, -,